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You'll explore the five main psychological perspectives: biological, cognitive, developmental, social and individual differences, alongside learning about how society works and how it can change.

Engage with the historical and conceptual underpinnings of the social sciences, and learn to leverage science to the benefit of your fellow students, industry and for social good. You'll develop skills in observing the world around you, identifying patterns and evaluating evidence.

You'll cover core theory and concepts, research methods and ethics, and contemporary social issues such as health inequalities, digital life, gender, race, class, and political polarisation.

Year one
You’ll be introduced to sociological tools and the main areas of psychological science. Build on your knowledge and understanding of identity, social divisions, structures and the influence of culture.

Become a scientist in your own right as you begin to develop your research and data analysis skills, while learning how to visualise the most important components of society.

Year two
The second year builds on the first and introduces more debate and critical thinking. You’ll deepen your knowledge of specific areas of sociology and psychology, and undertake practical training to improve your research skills. You'll learn to evaluate competing perspectives, interrogate evidence and use existing work critically rather than being confined by it.

Choose from a selection of optional modules aligned with the specialities of our teaching staff and explore areas such as education and crime, as well as biological, cognitive, developmental and social psychology.

Year three
You'll embark upon your dissertation, working one-to-one with a member of staff on an aspect of sociology and psychology that most interests you. Alongside this, you'll continue to study specialist areas of psychological science, as well as topics such as globalisation, environment, ethnicity, gender and creative enterprise.

This final year consolidates your confidence as an independent thinker and practitioner, able to communicate your work clearly and work effectively across professional, community and civic settings.

Assessment methods vary depending on your exact module choices. They may include essays, reports, debates, case studies, individual or group presentations, workbooks, portfolios, reflection pieces, research projects and seen and unseen examinations.

Many assessments are designed to reflect real-world scenarios, preparing you for employment or further study through policy briefs, case studies, literature reviews, and research reports.

You’ll be taught in lectures, seminars, practical workshops, individual and group tutorials, and through our extensive online learning support environment. Research methods are usually taught via practical classes, and bookable tutorials will enable you to have one-to-one discussions with staff.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our information on Your Learning and Teaching at BSU.

You'll be encouraged to undertake work placements, and we'll support you to obtain them. You might choose to gain experience in areas such as marketing, multimedia and product design, filming and editing, business management, HR, customer services, research and analysis, project management and events.

We'll also help you to network with professionals in the industry, including BSU graduates who can share their experiences and advice.

As this is a combined course, it's an ideal foundation for a wide variety of career paths across the public, voluntary, community and private sectors.

While some students work towards becoming a professional psychologist or sociologist, other graduates choose paths such as training in counselling, education, social work, youth and community work and law.

The skills you'll develop are highly transferable and particularly valued in roles such as policy and research support, community and youth work, health and wellbeing services, education and outreach, charity and NGO work, local government and roles within the criminal justice and social care sectors.

Some of our graduates have also gone on to study for a Master's or PhD.

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which allows you to gain Chartered Psychologist status, provided you achieve a 2.2 overall and pass the final year dissertation.

You'll also have access to BSU’s Careers and Employability team, who offer one-to-one careers advice, including CV support, to help you achieve your career goals. The team also provides a range of support services for recent BSU graduates, guiding you through the next steps in your career post-degree.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

At the end of the academic year, we award prizes to recognise achievements in academic success and reward effort and excellence. These include:

• The British Psychological Society Graduate Award
• Oxford University Press Prize for best dissertation.

The Research Certificate Scheme aims to connect students with an interest in participating in the research process beyond their research methods/dissertation studies with researchers in the School of Sciences to offer students ‘research experience’ and give them a ‘flavour’ of the different activities that researchers perform.

The scheme runs each semester and generally involves between one and four hours of work per week, collaborating with academic staff on projects across a range of topic areas.

Past projects have included:

• Developing campaigns to reduce sexual violence
• Learning communities: Educational solidarity during international fieldwork
• Blue prescribing: exploring the effects of water sports on mental health and wellbeing
• Using EEG (electroencephalography) to investigate motor imagery
• Reconstructing climate in Interior Alaska: 15,000 years to present.

There are multiple benefits to taking part in the scheme. It provides students with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of research – from design and gaining ethical approval, to qualitative interviewing and conducting field/lab research.

Students work with expert scientists at the University to gain valuable employability and ‘real-life’ experience, facilitating the transition to work and further study. Students who complete the scheme also receive a letter and certificate of completion.

To find out more about wider research within the School of Sciences, please visit the Centre for Research on Science and Society webpage.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

You'll be taught at our Newton Park campus, with access to a wide range of excellent facilities including:

• Psychology labs
• Commons building
• Newton Park library
• Virtual Learning Environment
• Academic Skills (ASk)
• Specialist resources and subject librarian
• English Language Unit (if English isn’t your first language)

The Library provides many core resources, both in print and online. You'll have access to sector-specific journal articles through PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES, as well as printed and digital textbooks.

Specialist software such as JASP (statistical computer software for analysing quantitative data) and NVivo (for qualitative data analysis) can be freely accessed by Psychology students. Qualitrics, Pavlovia and PsychoPy are available for use during dissertation research.

We also have a large battery of psychometric and neuropsychological tests for use.

You will have access to our newly refurbished Psychology laboratory spaces, equipped with specialist equipment for dissertations, staff research, and relevant modules.

These facilities include an eye-tracking lab with a Tobii eye-tracker, a Neuropsychology lab with EEG and tDCS equipment, an interview and observational room with a one-way mirror, and an experimental lab with individual testing cubicles for simultaneous computer-based experiments.

Our dedicated Psychology Technicians are available to support you in using the equipment and lab spaces, and students can also hire various equipment using SISO, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s free equipment loan service.

Our Virtual Learning Environment, Ultra, provides unlimited online access to learning materials such as handbooks, lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources.

You can also take advantage of the learning support provided across the wider University, such as:

• The Academic Skills service to develop your writing skills or learn how to use new techniques and technologies.
• Our Library gives you access to books, academic journals and DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. It also provides a place for individual study and collaborative work.
• The Careers team run networking events and advisory workshops that explore your future options and the essentials of the job application process. They help you get experience by assisting with your search for work placements and paid part-time jobs while you're studying. When you're ready to progress into your chosen career, they can help you secure graduate-level employment, freelance opportunities, and funding for your own business ideas. Career support continues for years after you graduate with the dedicated Grad Support Unit.
• Our Student Wellbeing Services are also available to support you through your learning.